Monday, July 21, 2008

You can have a great hand for the first 4 cards, and the bricks fall so you can't win.

And you can start knowing you have the worst of it, but your opponent or opponents all brick on you.

Tonight...I must be a lousy player, because I lost $200 at one $20-$40 table. I move to a new table and win $400. Did I play better at the new table? No. Just got a lucky seat.

You just need a sense of humor about the game or it will drive you...no, it will make you pissed.

One story or two: When online poker started years ago, the first time I played I joined Ultimate Bet. I set up my laptop on the kitchen counter and played in a no limit tournament. It wasn't a big tournament. I think it may have been like a $20 or $30 buy-in.

The tournament was going on for maybe an hour or so, and I make it to the final table. I am in 3rd place.

I get dealt A-A. The player under the gun raised and I am figuring out how much to re-raise when the power goes off in my apartment.

I had never lost power in that apartment before. There was nothing I could do. I waited for about 40 minutes...or maybe it was longer.

When the power came back, I immediately powered up the laptop and logged back on. I frantically searched for the event. When I opened up the table, I was no longer at the table.

I contacted Ubet via email. They quickly replied that I got paid 8th place money. Of course, I wasn't happy about it at all...I was in 3rd place and had A-A. I guess if I had 7-2 I would have been calmer.

In retrospect, it's funny that of all the hands to have when the power goes off...

Not happy with Ubet. I opened an account at Paradise Poker. After about one month on Paradise I had been winning at Limit hold'em and had a big enough bankroll to try either their highest limit or maybe it was next to the highest limit. I think it may have been $30-$60 or $40-$80. I quickly learned that my bankroll was not nearly big enough.

Anyway, I recall the first time I played at this high level and one of the first hands I was dealt was pocket Q's under the gun. I raised and was called by the player seated next to me, and the big blind.

On the flop I hit a set. The first player bet, I called, the 2nd guy raised, and the betting was capped. On the turn, there were all sorts of draws possible, so when the first guy bet, I raised. But once again a raising war started and the betting was capped.

I wasn't happy when a card that could make a straight and/or flush hit the river. The BB bet into me, and I just called. The next player raised, and the big blind re-raised.

I knew I was beat so I folded. I figured one of them must have a straight or flush.

The player to my left...folded without hesitation!

I jumped out of my seat and shouted "What the F@@K!" My sister came into my room, and I kept yelling at the computer while also trying to explain to her what happened.

She didn't care and left me alone to suffer.

To this day, I think it was collusion.

No, I did not have a sense of humor that day.

A week later I returned--making sure not to play with those guys again--figuring I'd just win the money back. Wrong. I lost the rest of my bankroll...and never returned to Paradise.